The Art of Love
by IzzyMorgensternXX
Summary: Inspired by Jasper and Sara Alice's storybook scene in 3x06. Jasper and Eleanor's children are assigned an art project on the topic 'My Family', allowing the young couple to explore their ancestry and face their demons.


It was just before three when Jasper arrived outside of Eleanor's old bedroom. Despite living at Kensington Palace the young couple returned to the 'Big Palace' on an almost daily basis, Eleanor's old room had been turned into her office and although Jasper no longer was a bodyguard (on account of being made Royal Duke of Devonshire) he liked to spend his days hanging out with Prince Liam. Three of their children- Izzy, Henry and Annie- usually accompanied them but today was different.

Today was Isabelle and Henry's first day of school and everyone was buzzing with excitement.

The morning of course had been crazy. Not only had they had to get up earlier than normal (Eleanor hated mornings with a passion) and then try to get three young kids dressed and fed by eight am, but the media had been there every step of the way. The three young royals knew to be on their best behaviour and waved and smiled adorably for the journalists, but it didn't surprise Eleanor at all that as soon as they were safely in the quiet car Annie had a complete meltdown.

In fact Eleanor felt like she was about to explode with all the worry, excitement and nervousness she'd been carrying inside all day. She was dying for a joint- but no.4 wouldn't let that happen.

No.4- or Elyssia Rosa, as she was more commonly know- had FINALLY settled down for her afternoon nap and Eleanor was scared to even breathe for fear that she might wake up her little baby girl. So when Jasper turned up she wasn't as pleased as she used to be in the pre-baby years.

Jasper smiled at her sympathetically, "I know. I know. I would have helped out but Annie and Lillian wanted me to play Battle of Agincourt with them and then Liam forced me to go out to that lunch club with Holden, Ivan and Ashock and play football. I had to get Willow to bribe Lily and Annie with tiramisu just to get here in time."

Eleanor smiled, "Well at least your day has been productive, Lyssa wouldn't stop crying during my telephone interview with Glamour and then Robert had to just swing by to give me a lecture on parenting and then Mum wanted me to try out this heinous dress for the charity gala. So I've spent the past three hours trying to redesign an eighties nightmare whilst feeding and cleaning up after this little one."

Jasper smiled, carefully picking up his youngest daughter, despite Eleanor's protests that he'd wake her up. The three month old didn't fuss, instead she just opened her eyes once, smiling at her father before falling asleep again.

"See, no problem," Jasper said grinning.

"Sometimes I really hate you," Eleanor said moodily, "You know I'm still light on the reading material. We promised every day, I kept my end of the bargain."

Jasper smiled, "I'll have a letter written by five and I promise it will be worth the wait, my Princess."

"It better be," Eleanor answered, giving him a flirtatious stare.

Jasper shook his head. The letter writing had been going on for the best part of five years- with only one break for roughly a fortnight when they'd broken up. Jasper had broken up with Eleanor because he was afraid of his past catching up with him. His father had sold him out, and Jasper had panicked, but with some help from Liam, Sara Alice, James and the Queen they had managed to sort everything out. And after some begging, often on his knees, to the Princess, he'd managed to win her back too

Now he knew he'd never let her go.

"Come on, we can't be late," Jasper insisted, "I don't want them to be left there waiting for us."

Eleanor smiled, nodding understandingly.

She knew why Jasper was taking all of this super seriously. His parents had never been concerned with his schooling, and although Jasper was smart, his report card was atrocious. He'd hardly ever completed homework or coursework assignments. His parents had also left him waiting at school for hours after home time whilst they were busy off robbing a bank or stealing jewellery.

Jasper knew what it was like to be the kindergartener watching all of the happy parents leave with their happy children and he never wanted his children to feel like that.

He wanted everything to be perfect for them.

Eleanor let Jasper place Elyssia in the car seat as she arranged the soft toys and dolls that littered the back seat of their landrover. The family rarely if ever went on long trips, everything they needed was available at the Palace of course, but they did go on spontaneous trips too. Sand from Eastbourne beach still littered the back of the car.

Eleanor climbed into the passenger seat whilst Jasper drove. They did have their own chauffeurs but it was far more convenient for them to drive themselves. Eleanor supposed they could have walked, and probably would after the first week, but today would be hectic and the car was a safer option.

It only took them five minutes to reach the school. It was a small private school for four to eleven year olds and most of the lords and ladies and other rich aristocrats living in the area sent their children there. Liam and Eleanor had attended themselves, before being sent to boarding school. Eleanor knew Jasper would never agree to sending their children to boarding school, but Len couldn't imagine them attending the school Sara Alice went to- a normal Grammar school.

"I hope they had a good day," Eleanor said as she saw the crowd of journalists gathering outside, "I hope no one pestered them for photos during their lunch break. I hope they made friends. You know how shy Henry gets sometimes."

Jasper placed a hand on top of his wife's, "I'm sure they'll be fine."

Eleanor watched as Jasper darted from the car, walking around to open her door, she smiled at him warmly, "I told you to stop doing that."

"Oh, but you love it," Jasper teased, before removing the car seat from the back of the landrover, Elyssia still fast asleep inside, "Now, let's get inside, I want to speak to their teachers. Make sure everything went ok."

Eleanor smiled, rolling her eyes. Of course, outside of close family, Jasper trusted no-one with his children. For a long while he worried about his parents turning up and taking them for ransom or one of his enemies from Las Vegas trying to harm them. But now his main worries were school bullies and negligent teachers. He was already talking about teaching Izzy and Henry kick-boxing…

Eleanor and Jasper dashed towards the door, glad that someone had already arranged security and metal gates for the reporters to stand behind. The automatic doors of the school entrance opened to let them into the warm reception area and Jasper and Eleanor noticed the faces of several inquisitive children peering out from the school hall.

"Your royal highnesses," a blond haired woman in her early thirties, greeted them, "It's a pleasure to meet you again. Princess Isabelle and Prince Henry have had such a wonderful day today and they've made loads of friends."

The teacher led Jasper and Len into a large classroom where several children were sitting in a small library corner where a teaching assistant read to them.

"Mummy! Daddy!" Izzy shouted as she recognised her parents and went running towards them to hug them. Henry followed moments later, hugging his parents too.

"So do you like school?" Jasper asked them, both of them nodding exuberantly.

"Look, look, what we made," Isabelle said, pointing to the drying painting excitedly.

"We're doing a 'my family' project," the teacher explained, "Izzy and Henry are so creative. The painting they made is beautiful. I wonder what inspired them?"

Jasper looked at the painting. 'Frosty the Caterpillar and the Princess' was written in silver glitter under the picture of what looked like their family at the summer charity picnic gala at the Big Palace. Of course Eleanor wore a black dress and a massive crown whereas Jasper had been drawn as a green, blue and yellow three-eyed caterpillar with scoliosis. The caterpillar drawing was now as much a symbol of Jasper as the sunglasses-and-pistol-emoji.

"It's a story I've been reading to them," Eleanor explained, "Jasper and our goddaugther, Sara Alice, made me a story book six years ago for Christmas, the kids ask for me to read it to them every night."

The teacher smiled, "Well it's a lovely story. Maybe your highnesses should think about publishing a series of children's books."

Jasper shrugged, but Eleanor gave him a look that said that she didn't find the idea absurd.

"Look, Daddy!" Izzy said pointing towards her folder which sat at her table, "I learnt how to write the alphabet and my numbers and spell my name."

"Wow!" Jasper said, picking up his eldest daughter, "I'm so proud of the both of you. You're so smart."

Izzy and Henry grinned.

"Yes, you are," Eleanor seconded hugging Henry, "And do you know what that means?"

"Cake?" Henry asked exictedly, "Are we going to Grandmama's for afternoon tea?"

Eleanor nodded, "And Annie and Lily and Auntie Willow and Uncle Liam will be there too. Maybe even Sara Alice and Great Uncle James."

The twins shared an excited look.

"See you tomorrow, Mrs Braybrook," they yelled in unison before holding onto their parents' hands and leaving the classroom.

"Now, remember what Mummy said," Jasper coached his children, "There's going to be a lot of people outside but it's going to be ok, because we're right here, so we'll just smile and wave at them like we did this morning and then we'll head straight to the Palace for tea."

Eleanor could tell from the way that Jasper was speaking that he was definitely more nervous than his children and gave him a reassuring smile. She knew Jasper hated the paparazzi and hated his children being constantly in the news. He wanted them to have as normal a life as possible. He had spent many sleepless nights worrying about how they would cope with the pressure. He'd seen both Liam and Eleanor crumble under it and didn't want his children to suffer the same fate.

"It's going to be ok, Daddy," Izzy reassured her father, "I've watched Uncle Robert handle the 'nosey-men' loads of times, I know what to do."

Jasper bit his lip, although Robert and him were now on relatively good terms there had always been a tension between them when it came to Eleanor. He understood Robert wanting the best for his sister but often it became controlling and excessive. Jasper didn't blame his children for admiring their Uncle- and King- but he wanted to be the best role model he could be for them and often he had doubts that he would be a good enough father for them.

The Frost family stepped out of the reception area and into the flashing cameras and loud shouts of the clung close to his mother's side, waving a little, but generally overwhelmed, even when Eleanor ruffled his hair playfully and gave him a loving smile. Izzy, however, walked out ahead of them, holding her head high and waving with all the dignity and pride expected of a royal.

Jasper walked quickly towards the car, opening the doors for them so that they could make a hasty getaway. He could hear some of the reporters comments and tried to not to show how they bothered him 'When would his parents visit their grandchildren?' 'How did this day compare to his first day of school?' "When would he tell his children about his past?'

Eleanor followed at a slower pace, waving to some of the reporters she recognised and winking at Crenshaw who just smiled in response, tapping the screen of his smart-phone to release the story he had prepared earlier- with the official interview from the Frost family.

Eleanor shook the hands of a few of the people, encouraging Henry to do the same, showing him that it was safe, that he was safe because his family was there to protect him. Eleanor felt so awful pushing him to be in the spotlight but she knew how hard it would be if he didn't learn, she knew how in the future he would be ridiculed- when being shy was no longer cute and instead seen as weakness.

After a few minutes she took Henry's hand and walked with his to the car giving Jasper a brief but supportive smile before placing her son in his car seat. Jasper sat in the driver's seat, sunglasses on, eyes staring straight ahead.

"Are you ok?" Eleanor asked concerned.

Jasper nodded, but Eleanor knew he was lying, she'd heard the reporter's comments and she knew how much Jasper hated them bringing up his past. So she quickly clambered into the front passenger seat and moments later that drove off towards the palace.

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

Izzy, Henry, Lillian and Annie were in the middle of devouring their butterfly victoria sponge cakes when Eleanor stumbled upon the letter in Izzy's school bag.

"Dear parents," she read, immediately getting Jasper's attention,"This term we are pleased to announce that we will be hosting an art competition for our early years class. Every pupil will be able to submit one piece of artwork on the theme 'My family' by the end of autumn term. There will be a special awards ceremony for the winner where they will be presented with a secret prize.

The art work can take any form including paintings, drawings, collages, illustrated stories and we would love for you to encourage your children to take part.

I look forward to seeing your entries,

Kind regards,

Angela Braybrook."

Jasper smiled, "Sounds fun."

Eleanor smiled back, "Definitely. I've been saying that we need a Princess and the Caterpillar Part 2."

"Yes, but I get to design it," Jasper said.

"No, no," Eleanor argued, "You got Part 1, I got Part 2. You'll have to think of something else."

Sara Alice sighed watching her godparents bicker, "Well whoever gets it is going to need me to draw the pictures, so why don't we do a heads or tails. Head Leni and I work on Part 2, tails, Jasper and I get Part 2? Ok?"

"Sounds fair," Eleanor said, Jasper nodding.

"I want to work on Part 2," Izzy said excitedly.

"I don't mind," Henry added timidly.

"Well," Sara Alice said, pulling a pound coin out of her pocket, and flipping it, "It's…. tails. Sorry, Leni."

"Don't worry," Eleanor said, "We have a lot of great ideas don't we Henry?"

Henry nodded, uncertainly.

"Well come on then," Izzy nagged her father, "Let's get started."

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

Sara Alice, Izzy and Jasper sat in James's office as Sara Alice arranged several sheets of coloured paper and colouring pencils in front of them. Jasper had brought in a large whiteboard and at the top written 'The Princess and the Caterpillar- Part 2' in black marker.

"Ok, so what ideas do we have?" Jasper asked.

"Erm," Izzy said, forehead creasing in thought, "What about Frosty the Caterpillar going on an adventure on a mighty ship and fighting a giant parrot who tries to eat him and the Princess and then the three musketeers and their pet dog Prince Rufus save the day? Oh and Sara Alice of course?"

Jasper shrugged, "Yes, but what about James and Elyssia and Uncle Robert, and Grandmama? What about Lily and Uncle Liam and Auntie Willow too?"

"We can fit them in," Izzy said in an unphased tone, "But will Frosty be a scoliotic, three-eyed caterpillar again?"

Jasper nodded, "I guess so."

Izzy pondered that, "Ok, I think I know how this is going to work out."

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

"Mummy, what are we going to use the book for?" Henry said looking at the book sitting on the library room table.

Eleanor smiled, "Do you remember me telling you about Catherine of Valois and Owen Tudor?"

Henry looked confused for a moment, "Oh, you mean the Queen who married her bodyguard, a bit like you and Daddy."

Eleanor nodded, "Yes, well they weren't the only ones who wrote letters and were secretly in love."

Henry grinned waiting for his mother to go on.

"There was once this young princess," Eleanor began, "And she was beautiful and charming and elegant and everything a princess should be. She was the young of fifteen children-."

"Fifteen!" Henry yelled in shock.

Eleanor nodded, smiling, "Yes, fifteen. She was loved dearly by all but most of all by her father who called her his darling Emily. Her name was Princess Amelia of Great Britain. She should have married a handsome prince but unfortunately her father- George the 3rd- was poorly a lot when she was a child and couldn't take her to Europe to meet any princes. But she found her prince anyway.

"Her prince was a young equerry called Charles."

"Wasn't Uncle Beck an equerry once?" Henry asked.

Eleanor bit her lip, "Yes, but Charles Fitzroy isn't like Beck. The young princess and her lover met at the seaside town of Weymouth and they immediately fell in love and promised to each other. The Queen found out but she didn't mind, only her brother didn't approve of the marriage. The princess knew she could not legally marry her prince because of the Royal Marriages Act and planned to wait until she was 25, so she could receive permission from the Privy Council instead. In secret she sent letters to Charles signing them with the letters A.F.R- Amelia Fitzroy."

"Did she marry her prince?" Henry shook her head.

Eleanor shook her head, "No, or at least not officially. A lot of people believe they had a secret wedding. I like to believe that too."

"She sounds a bit like you Mummy," Henry commented, "Grandmama always liked Daddy but I know Uncle Robert didn't always want you and Daddy to live happily ever after did he?"

Eleanor smiled, "Yes, that is true, unfortunately, and I nearly had to do what Princess Amelia did. I nearly had to wait to receive permission from the Privy Council, and whilst I was waiting I always signed my letters with name Frost."

Henry smiled, "But Uncle Robert changed his mind."

Eleanor nodded, "Yes, and Amelia's father, George the 3rd,, he found out about the young couple too and at first he wasn't too happy but after his Emily died, way too young, he told Charles that he approved of their relationship."

"Do you think Grandpapa would have like Daddy?" Henry asked.

"Of course, he would have," Eleanor reassured him, "Because Grandpapa and Grandmama always want us to choose love. As long as we have love, everything will be fine."

"I don't understand what this has to do with my art project," Henry said, confused for a moment, "Oh I know! Are we going to make a collage of all of the letters our family has sent? That sounds like an awesome idea, Mummy!"

Eleanor grinned, "Yes, I was thinking maybe we could make a collage of the letters you sent to Daddy and I whilst we were away of our spring tour."

"And we could include Owen and Catherine and Emily and Charlie's letters too?" Henry asked hopefully.

Eleanor smiled, "I'll see what I can do."

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

The story book had just been completed and it was already long past the young Princess's bed time but neither Jasper nor Izzy nor Sara Alice really cared. Dirty plates that had held spaghetti bolognese stood in the far corner of the room, none of them wanting to call the servants to collect them, they didn't want to be distracted from their work.

And now their work was done.

Jasper hoped that their's would be the winning entry, but on the other hand he also wanted Henry to win. In a way it had also turned into a competition between him and Eleanor, they were both naturally competitive and ultimately this competition was as much for them as for their children.

Jasper flipped through the storybook, looking at the images that Sara Alice and his daughter had drawn earlier that day and smiling at the glittery butterflies and seagulls and flowers and waves…

 _Once upon a time, in a land far far away, live a wonderful caterpillar called Frosty. He was a brave and wonderful caterpillar who was tall and mighty and could frighten away all the scary animals in the woods. He lived with his Princess in a small cottage surrounded by daffodils and bluebells with their dog Prince Rufus._

 _Frosty was the bravest caterpillar but that didn't mean he was the happiest, not long ago he had been a handsome prince but a cruel twist of fate had transformed him back into a scoliotic three eyed caterpillar. The Princess still loved him anyway. They had four beautiful children who lived merrily with them in the woodland and never knew anything apart from love and joy._

 _But Frosty knew that if he wanted to become a beautiful Prince again then he had to defeat the Evil King and Queen and their evil dragon. So he left a note for his family before setting out on the long and arduous journey._

 _He travelled along the woodland paths for three days and nights until he stumbled upon a seaside town with a large harbour and boat about to set sail for the Evil King and Queen's notorious captain was more than happy to let him aboard, given that he wouldn't take up a lot of room and they set sail with the next high tide._

 _The journey was particularly rough for Frosty but as soon as his seasickness had disappeared, he started to make his plans as to how he would sneak into the palace and defeat the evil royals once and for all. He hoped then that the curse would be lifted and that his family would be safe forever._

 _When he got to the shore, after giving his hundreds of legs time to adjust to solidness of the ground he looked around him, and then he got the shook of his life._

 _For there stood his Princess and their young children. He had no idea how they'd got here so fast and his heart was filled with worry._

" _It isn't safe here!" he tried to tell them._

" _We came to rescue you," the eldest child, Isabelle said, "You don't need to fight the Evil King and Queen, Daddy, just come home. There must be a way to reverse the curse, and we'll be safe in the woods. We always have been."_

 _Henry and Annie looked at their sister nodding in agreement as a short blonde haired figure joined them. She was clad in armour and stood proudly._

" _Sara Alice?" Frosty the Caterpillar asked, "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought we'd lost you all those years ago. I thought you'd been kidnapped by the Evil King."_

 _Sara Alice shook her head, "I returned to rescue my father and then we spent years in secret training to protect you. Princess Isabelle is right, this isn't your fight, you should go home."_

" _But then I'll never stop being a caterpillar," Frosty the Caterpillar said, tears blurring his three little caterpillar eyes._

" _It doesn't matter to me," his Princess said, placing a hand delicately under his chin, "You are perfect for me. You are perfect for all of us."_

 _Frosty the Caterpillar grinned, "Ok, I'll go home. I can fight my demons there."_

" _Yes, yes, you can, Daddy," Isabelle said, "We'll help you fight your demons."_

" _We all will," Henry added._

 _Frosty smiled happily at his family._

 _And that was when it happened._

" _No!" his Princess yelled in anguish._

 _A great giant parrot swooped out of the sky and threatened to gobble up Frosty but then an arrow appeared out of nowhere and the injured parrot was knocked to the ground._

 _Frosty looked up timidly and noticed a face he had long forgotten, that of his best friend, the Prince Liam, his Princess's long lost brother, and the face of the nice Queen and her other son, the now King Robert, standing next to Sara Alice's father, James. Even Willow was there too, with another little Princess._

" _Are you ok, Frosty?" Liam asked, "You're not hurt."_

 _Frosty shook his head, "I thought I'd never see you again. I was trying to protect you, and then the evil King cursed me and I lost you. I thought you were dead. I managed to rescue your sister. I would have rescued you too."_

 _The Princess hugged her brothers and mother, "Well we are all a family now. All together again. And we'll help you Frosty, we'll help you become a handsome prince again."_

" _How?" Frosty asked._

" _Love," the Princess answered simply, "Love will make all your demons go away."_

 _Frosty nodded, taking his Princess's words to heart. And then a marvellous thing happened, he transformed from a handsome caterpillar into a handsome prince._

" _Wow!" Princess Isabelle exclaimed, "How did you do that Daddy?"_

" _I remembered what I already have," Frosty said, "I remembered that I have a loving family who only ever see the best in me, and I realised that what other say doesn't matter because the people I love and the ones who love me are the ones who matter the most. I should love who I am. No matter if I am a handsome Prince or a scoliotic, three-eyed caterpillar."_

 _The young Prince and Princesses smiled._

" _That's what helped me slay me demons," Frosty said, "Now come on, or we'll be late for tea. And you know what fairies get like around cupcakes."_

 _And with that they boarded their ship and sailed away._

 _They lived happily ever after._

 _BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK  
_

Eleanor sat in room, her son's artwork sitting in front of her and she looked at it proudly. The collage of letters looked beautiful with several of her children's letters from the past few years alongside a couple of photocopies of letters her and Jasper had written to each other (that were safe for children's eyes) and a some letters of Owen and Catherine's. In the center stood a single letter from Princess Mary, Amelia's older sister, to Charles Fitzroy.

 _"My dear Fitzroy,_ _our beloved Amelia is no more, but her last words to me were, 'tell Charles I die blessing him.' Before I_ _leave_ _this house, I obey her. last wishes. Far or near, your affectionate friend, Mary."_

She felt sorry for the young Princess, at least her and Jasper had gotten their happy ending no matter how many obstacles had been in their way. Eleanor always remembered that young Princess whenever she had doubts, she admired her strength, the way she carried on in spite of her own and her father's illnesses, never giving up on the man she loved.

Eleanor herself had been there, she had suffered in the darkness, but no matter what she'd never given up on Jasper, because no matter what Robert or the paparazzi or Mandy or Jasper's parents said or did, it would never diminish the love they had, and they would always be the ones to write their happy ending.

' _The love we have is more important than the power we wield'_

The phrase was written in sparkly silver pen along the bottom of the picture and Eleanor smiled as she read it.

She looked up just as Jasper walked into her room, a letter clutched in his hand.

"I'm sorry it's late," Jasper said, passing the letter to his wife, "Izzy got really into her work."

Eleanor smiled, "It's ok. So did Henry."

Jasper frowned looking at the collage, "Love letters?"

Eleanor shook her head, "No, letters showing all the types of love in our family over the centuries and how those types of love have fought against everything and always won. That's what our family is about: using our love to fight our demons, standing by one and other. I know you still have your worries Jasper, but never forget how perfect you are."

Jasper smiled, tears in eyes, "I won't, just as long as you never forget that you are perfect too Len."

Eleanor smiled, reaching for Jasper's hands and they stood there staring lovingly into each others eyes, knowing nothing could ever tear them apart.

Because they loved each other so much, and they loved their children and their family so much.

And that was all that mattered.

That was what their family stood for.

They would always choose love.

THE END


End file.
